Bruce Wayne finds his life stretched thin as he deals with a new Ukranian girlfriend and the Scarecrow’s decision to kidnap Commissioner Gordon… and use fear gas against children!  As our hero descends into terror, he must ask himself: Can his relationship with his girlfriend last?  Will he be able to save the Commissioner?  Is it possible for him to keep his own nightmares at bay?

The official description from DC:

SCARECROW makes a bold move against BATMAN, using COMMISSIONER GORDON as bait!

The terrifying pasts of both SCARECROW and BATMAN come back to haunt them.

With the dire circumstances at play here, this issue promises a gloomy drama with the Dark Knight at the center.  The story itself takes on a bit of a different path from the description, as our hero focuses in on his investigation of the children that were kidnapped. One managed to get away, and Bruce attempts to get as much information as he can from the poor girl.

Gregg Hurwitz handles this tone-shifting comic nicely, without relying on the blockbuster over-the-top personality that the series has become known for.  This author brings us a more personal adventure as our protagonist tries to deal with his own fears, while battling a villain bent on exploiting them.  The script balances the darkness of the narrative, action scenes and moments of humanity in a very strong fashion yielding a sturdy tale that’s a worthwhile read.

David Finch continues to display the diversity of his style while remaining true to his natural character designs.  His ability to do very dark scenes but then transition to lighter moments displays the depth of his talent.  It’s that power and insight that is immensely valuable to this ongoing series.

While this latest issue take a tonal shift under a new author, it revels in variety. This is the Batman comic where writer and artist can tell different and unique stories without having to worry about keeping a consistent voice from arc to arc.

4.5/5